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How To Make Up A Blues Song On Guitar

Making up blues songs on the guitar is pretty easy once you know the basics.

This web page builds on what you learned on these web pages (listed on the left): The Secret and Tired of Playing The Same Old Songs? Make Up Songs. If you're a complete beginner you might want to check out Guitar Basics.

Blues Chord Progressions
A standard blues chord progression uses the 1, 4 and 5 chords of any key.

standard 12-bar blues chord progression

  • You can play the chord progression below by using Chord 1, 4 and 5 from the key of C or the key of G. Read on to see an example in the key of G.
  • A measure is also known as a bar. This progression is called the 12 bar blues because it has 12 bars (measures).

Blues Chord Progression in the Key of G
In the example be sure to play each chord until it changes.

Guitar chords in the Key of G


12 bar blues chord progression in the Key of G


The previous example has an advanced strumming pattern that sounds something like this: bump-ba-bump-ba-bump-ba-bump-ba.

Blues Chord Progression Format 2
Here’s another blues example using a different format. You just play Chord 4 for the second measure instead of Chord 1. Everything else is the same. Here’s an example in the key of G:


12 bar blues in the Key of G format 2

Try these Bluesy Sounding Chords
Use the blues chords in the key of G below.

Blues guitar chords in the Key of G

12 bar blues chord progression in the Key of G using bluesy chords


The bluesy chords you were just using in the previous example are called 7th chords. For a long time I used these types of chords in my songs but I never understood where they came from and when to use them.

You can discover where they come from and how to use them in more detail in Guitar On the Spot II - Expanding the Code. Click here to learn more.



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Guitar On the Spot
Understanding the Code
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$14.95
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Guitar music created
using the code

Guitar On the Spot Understanding the Code

Do you have the ambition to play the guitar, but you can't quite piece it all together?

In Understanding the Code you’ll discover the simple code that is the foundation of the guitar.

You'll use it to make up your own songs, solos and riffs up and down the guitar neck, jam with other people and figure out how to play simple songs, solos and riffs by ear.

You don’t need to read notes
You don’t need to read tab
You don’t need any experience
I never thought I could make sense of the guitar. I spent months trying to teach myself. Then my friend told me to check out this book and I finally "got it".

-Mike B., Santa Barbara, CA

"When I saw the book I thought ohhhh it’s just another book. You know I've looked at a lot of books and they basically remind me that I need to practice various chord patterns and shapes and notes, it’s all about practice, but with Jesse’s book, it allowed me to practice in a more effective way that really benefited my guitar playing."

"It brought all those things that I thought were vastly beyond my abilities down to my level of understanding so that I could apply them and improve my skills."

"I think it’s a great way to start if you’ve never played because you can just use this whole formula that he’s developed to enhance you’re playing and to learn"

-Jon B., MI

I give you an 8 week complete money back guarantee. So if you decide it's not what you're looking for I'll give you your money back.

If you've been reading a bunch of books trying to “figure it out” (that’s what I did, it took me years) and you're still confused, just check out the code and see if it clears anything up for you.


Copyright 2005 On the Spot Publishing. All Rights Reserved.